Imagine you are browsing an online shop for a new blender. On one page, you find a product with a poor description, blurry photos and conflicting technical data. On another page, you find a similar blender with an exhaustive description, high-quality photos and even a short video demonstrating how it works. It is not difficult to guess which case you would be more likely to add the product to your shopping cart. This difference in product presentation in e-commerce is the result of Product Experience Management (PXM) - a strategy that has a real impact on customers' purchasing decisions and helps online stores increase conversion.

Product Experience Management (PXM) is a strategy for the comprehensive management of product information and content across all sales channels to ensure a consistent, attractive and personalized shopping experience. In other words, PXM is a way of how product experience management works in e-commerce – by providing complete and engaging product content at the right time (e.g. at the stage of comparing offers). In today's e-commerce era, where customers make choices not only based on price or the product itself, but also on the entire experience with the brand, product experience management in e-commerce is becoming a key element of competitive advantage. More and more companies are investing in the broadly defined Customer Experience, and the importance of PXM in online stores is becoming a fundamental part of it.

Why is this so important right now? Today's customers have an almost unlimited choice - if they don't find satisfactory information in one shop, they will switch to the competition in a matter of seconds. Shopping is done in a multi-channel way: online on a laptop, in a mobile app, via social media and even in stationary shops. Consistency of the message and product data at all these stages builds trust and facilitates the purchase decision. PXM ensures this by integrating processes and tools that make sure the product “tells its story” consistently, regardless of the place of encounter with the customer. In the following sections, we will take a closer look at the mechanisms by which PXM translates into real growth in sales and conversion in e-commerce.

Mechanisms of PXM's impact on sales and conversion

Consistent and high-quality product information

One of the basic pillars of PXM is managing product data in e-commerce so that it is complete, correct and consistent across all channels. Gaps or inconsistencies in descriptions, parameters or photos can effectively discourage customers. Studies show that up to 30% of potential revenue can be lost due to the poor quality of product content in online shops. When customers encounter contradictory or incomplete data, their trust in the shop decreases and they abandon their purchase. That is why PXM emphasizes consistent product information in the online shop, including detailed descriptions, correct technical specifications, up-to-date data and multimedia content to support purchasing decisions.

Consistent information is particularly important in an omnichannel strategy in e-commerce. The customer should receive the same reliable product knowledge regardless of whether they are browsing the website, using the mobile app or viewing the product in a physical store – PXM and the omnichannel strategy go hand in hand here. When the description and features of a product are the same everywhere, it builds a sense of brand credibility. What's more, well-structured product data enables the use of key e-commerce features such as filtering, comparison tools, and recommendations - and this directly shows the impact of product data on online sales. It is estimated that 69% of online shoppers rely on e-commerce functionalities (such as parameter search) that only work properly thanks to well-managed product data. In other words, the quality of product content and conversion are closely related - if the store has messy information, the customer may not find what they are looking for at all, and therefore will not buy.

Influence on the customer experience (UX/UI)

The quality of product information directly influences the user experience (UX) in the online shop. The influence of PXM on the UX in the online shop is huge – the system ensures that every element of the product page harmonizes with each other and responds to the customer's needs, creating a comprehensive, engaging shopping interface. Good photos (e.g. with the possibility of zooming in on details, 360° presentation), product videos, customer reviews, size charts or an FAQ section are elements that create a rich shopping experience. The role of product content quality in UX/UI becomes crucial - the more engaging the interface, the greater the chance of retaining the user on the site. The longer and more engaging a potential customer interacts with a product in the shop, the greater the chance that they will add it to their shopping cart. This shows how to improve UX with PXM and increase the effectiveness of the product page.

Managing the product experience often also means adapting the form of presentation to a specific channel and context. This is another aspect in which PXM influences the UX in an online shop by modifying the interface according to the user's device and connection quality. PXM takes these nuances into account - for example, it provides appropriate image formats for mobile devices, concise versions of descriptions for social media channels, or voice interfaces for voice assistants. All this to ensure a smooth and seamless experience. If we take care of these details, the customer will not experience frustration (e.g. with long-loading graphics or the message “no data”) - instead, they will go through the purchasing process comfortably. User experience and conversion are directly related here. What is more, 20% of e-commerce shopping cart abandonment is due to incomplete or unclear product information. PXM and shopping cart abandonment are strongly correlated – improving product content can significantly increase conversion and reduce the number of lost orders.

The quality of the product experience also affects what happens after the sale, e.g. returns. If the description promised something different from what the customer received, it is easy to be disappointed and return the goods. Here again, the impact of consistent information is evident: about 22% of product returns are the result of inconsistent or incorrect product information. By improving data quality (e.g. specifying dimensions, materials, product compliance with the description), we minimize the risk of returns, which directly protects the shop's revenue and improves customer satisfaction.

Personalization of product content

Another mechanism by which PXM increases sales is the personalization of product content in e-commerce – that is, tailoring content to a specific recipient, their preferences, behavior, and shopping context. Today's customers expect a “tailor-made” experience. Research shows that as many as 76% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands that offer personalization - that's why PXM and the customer shopping experience are an inseparable pair today. When an online store can dynamically customize the presentation of a product - for example, to show priority information or suggest complementary products - personalization and increased online sales become a fact.

Personalization within PXM can take many forms – from contextual (channel-dependent) to behavioral (based on browsing history). How does PXM support personalization of the offer? – it allows for dynamically presenting customized content, which is more effective than universal messages. For example, if a customer often buys vegan cosmetics, the PXM system can highlight the right product attributes. These types of customized product recommendations increase the accuracy of communication and the chance of conversion.

This intelligent content matching translates into concrete results – personalizing product content in e-commerce can increase conversion by up to 20%, as confirmed by behavioral analysis data. What's more, customers feel better served and have the feeling that the offer is accurate - which builds loyalty. Thanks to PXM and tailored product recommendations, additional sales and customer return rates are increasing. Well-chosen recommendations mean that buyers often add more products to their carts than they originally planned, which automatically increases the value of sales. (In extreme cases, personalized recommendations can increase the average shopping cart value by several hundred percent compared to random, unmatched suggestions!). Personalization is therefore not just a nice-to-have, but a real driver of conversion and sales growth in e-commerce.

Practical examples of PXM application

Real-life examples of implementations and results

The example of PXM implementation in e-commerce best shows how PXM mechanisms translate into concrete results. A large online electronics store struggled with inconsistent descriptions of thousands of products from different suppliers. Customers complained about chaotic information - different units, lack of consistent data. The company decided to implement PIM in the online shop, standardizing descriptions thanks to a central system and ready-made templates. After a few months, the data for the entire product range was organized, and the results spoke for themselves. Effects of implementing PIM in e-commerce? A 15% increase in conversion in just six months after the launch of consistent product descriptions. Customers felt more confident that they “knew what they were buying”, so they abandoned their shopping carts less often. How does PXM affect conversion and sales? By improving the product experience - without additional advertising costs or discounts.

Another example of PXM implementation in e-commerce comes from a clothing store operating in multiple markets. The challenge was to maintain a consistent image while adapting content to languages and cultures. The company implemented a PXM strategy for foreign markets, combining a central PIM system with a translation and localization module – taking into account units of measurement, color preferences and cultural context. At the same time, a DAM – a system for managing multimedia – was implemented to optimize photos for different channels and maintain quality. The effects of implementing PIM and DAM in e-commerce were quickly seen in the improvement of user engagement. The result? Customers in different countries were receiving descriptions in the appropriate language and style. The implementation of PXM in the online shop led to a decrease in bounce rate and longer time on site – a clear sign of increased engagement and conversion. Indeed, sales in foreign markets began to increase, with this success mainly attributed to the improved product experience.

It is worth noting that the greatest benefits of PXM are felt by companies that have a very wide range of products or operate on multiple channels. For example, a global marketplace in the fashion industry introduced the “shop the look” feature (completing an entire outfit from different products). This feature significantly increased the average order value because the customer, encouraged by inspiration, added more items to the cart. However, launching “shop the look” required prior data control: each piece of clothing had to be correctly assigned to a category, style, size, and color so that the system would automatically select matching items for the set. Without a solid PXM, such advanced sales initiatives would not be possible or would end in chaos in the presentation of the offer.

Best practices in product content management (PIM, DAM, MDM)

PXM implementation stories allow us to draw several best practices. Here are the best PIM practices in e-commerce and the principles that are worth implementing in any company that sells online:

• Central management of product information is the foundation of effective PXM. Most often implemented by a PIM (Product Information Management) system, which consolidates data from multiple departments and channels, providing a single source of truth for the entire organization. Unification is key – updating data in PIM immediately synchronizes information across all channels. This shows how managing product content in an online shop affects the quality of customer communication. This ensures that customers see up-to-date and consistent information everywhere.
  
• DAM and PIM as a source of consistent product data are the best combination for e-commerce companies. DAM is responsible for the central management of visual content - photos, videos or instructions. It is best to combine DAM with PIM - then each product in the database has assigned multimedia, and their update is automatic. This is an important element of effective management of product content in e-commerce. The result: customers always see up-to-date photos and high-quality materials, and the company does not have to manually upload files to each channel separately. This saves time and guarantees visual consistency.
  
• Best PIM practices in e-commerce also include standardization – it is worth determining description templates, attributes and tone of voice in advance, which will be repeated throughout the shop. The best companies create a so-called style guide for product content - they define the tone of voice of descriptions, the scheme for specifying specifications (e.g. the order in which features are listed), and the requirements for the number and type of photos. They then enforce these standards with every new product. Thanks to automation, PIM facilitates data quality control by indicating gaps and inaccuracies. Central management of product information gains a new dimension of efficiency. This way, high-quality content is maintained, which directly translates into a better customer experience and sales results.
• In large organizations, product data must be consistent throughout the company structure. The role of MDM in the PXM strategy is to integrate and synchronize data from various sources – purchasing, marketing, logistics and sales. That is why it is so important to implement Master Data Management (MDM) – a master system that manages master data and ensures that the entire organization uses the same information. This is an essential part of an effective PXM strategy in large e-commerce companies. MDM, together with PIM and DAM, ensures that everyone “speaks the same language” when it comes to product data. This eliminates situations in which, for example, the marketing department promotes a product under a different name than the one known to the warehouse or ERP system. Consistency at the organizational level translates into consistency in communication to the customer.
  

In summary, PXM best practices boil down to proactive management of all product-related information and content. Successful companies treat product data as valuable capital - they invest time in organizing, updating and creatively utilizing it (e.g. by creating engaging descriptions, product histories and guides). This investment pays off in the form of better customer experiences and measurable business results.

Now that we know the mechanisms behind Product Experience Management and the tools that support it, it is time to see how PXM affects the conversion rate, average shopping cart value and customer loyalty – the key e-commerce KPIs.

Conversion Rate (CR)

How does PXM affect the conversion rate? Even a small improvement (e.g. from 2% to 2.4%) can significantly increase the revenue of an online shop thanks to better presentation and consistency of product data. PXM solves the problems that block conversion: lack of trust, uncertainty or mismatched information. This is the key mechanism for increasing sales thanks to PXM. By providing richer and better-matched content, PXM effectively “pushes” more users to finalize transactions.

Let's quote a few numbers. Research (e.g. A.T. Kearney) shows that improving the quality of product content can increase conversion by up to 56%. This best illustrates the impact of product content quality on e-commerce KPIs. This is a huge difference, which shows the great potential of something as seemingly simple as a better description or photo. Another study, involving hundreds of trading companies, showed an average increase in conversion of 35% after implementing a PIM system to improve product data management. In practice, this means, for example, that out of 1,000 visitors, 30 people previously bought something, and after the implementation of PXM, around 40 people did. The difference of 10 purchases for every 1,000 visits, on an annual basis and with high traffic, results in a huge increase in sales.

What exactly is behind this increase in conversion? Let's summarize: more complete information eliminates purchasing barriers (the customer no longer has to “guess” whether a given laptop has a backlit keyboard - they can see it immediately in the description), consistency of content builds trust (the shop seems professional and reliable, since everything is buttoned up), better UX shortens the decision path (it is easier for the customer to find a product and all the data on one page), and personalization suits the taste (the offer seems tailored to the user, so they are more likely to click “Buy now”). All these elements add up to a higher conversion rate.

Average order value (AOV)

The second key parameter is PXM and the average order value – that is, how much does the customer leave on average during one transaction in the online shop. Increasing the average order value thanks to PXM is the result of, among other things, personalization of the offer, product recommendations and better presentation of benefits. If the product story told to the customer is rich, it often goes beyond one article - it shows the lifestyle, the context of use, the complete solution. And this inspires to add something else to the basket.

Let's imagine a customer buying a camera. Without PXM, he would see the camera specifications and maybe a few photos. But with advanced PXM, recommendations will also appear on the product page: a lens, a camera bag, a tripod that perfectly matches this model. What's more, each of these recommendations is backed up with information why it is worth adding (e.g. “This tripod will ensure stable night shots with the camera you have chosen”). This type of personalized suggestions and cross-selling is the domain of PXM. When implemented well, they can significantly increase the value of the shopping cart. In the e-commerce industry, there are known cases where the implementation of the “Other customers also bought” or “Goes well with this product” sections increased the AOV by several or several dozen percent. On a macro scale, it can be observed that personalized product recommendations can increase the average order value several times compared to non-personalized, random suggestions.

An increase of 10-20% in the average shopping cart value is entirely realistic when using PXM as a tool for optimizing online sales. Especially if the company offers complementary products or premium variants, the right presentation and suggestion can encourage the customer to make a more expensive choice. For example, a customer looking at a mid-range smartphone will see a higher-end model in the frame with the note “for only 200 PLN more you get a better camera and battery” - this may convince them to pay extra. Or when buying sports shoes, the customer will be subtly encouraged to choose running socks (because “others have bought them”) and thus the shop increases the value of the sale.

The key is that PXM provides context for upselling. It's not about random extras, but ones that actually add value to the customer. Thanks to data analysis (e.g. through AI mechanisms recommending products based on similar customers) and thanks to the consistent presentation of these proposals as part of the shopping experience, the customer does not feel as if something is being sold to him or her in an intrusive way - rather, he or she perceives it as help and inspiration. As a result, he or she is more willing to take advantage of these suggestions, and the average value of his or her shopping cart increases.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

PXM and customer lifetime value in e-commerce – how the quality of the product experience influences whether a customer returns and buys again. In simple terms: how loyal our customers are and how much they “spend” with us on average over a period of several years. PXM influences CLV primarily by increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

If someone has shopped in our store and felt that the product description was reliable, the product met their expectations (because they knew exactly what they were buying), and the whole process was pleasant, there is a good chance that they will return for more purchases. On the other hand, a customer who bought something based on scant information and received goods that did not meet their expectations is likely to choose the competition next time. By providing a satisfying experience the first time, PXM increases the likelihood of repeat purchases. Add to this the after-sales personalization mechanisms - e.g. emails with recommendations for accessories for the purchased product or notifications about new products matching the customer's taste - and you have a recipe for higher customer retention.

The statistics confirm this logic: research shows that personalization translates into an approximately 15% increase in customer retention rates and an approximately 33% higher lifetime value of customers who experience personalized brand interactions. Increasing sales with PXM means more than just one-time purchases – it also means loyalty and recommendations. A customer who trusts your descriptions will be more likely to return and shop more often. What's more, a loyal customer often becomes an ambassador for the brand – they recommend the shop to friends and leave positive reviews, which in turn attracts new buyers with lower marketing costs.

It is worth realizing that increasing CLV has a huge impact on the long-term growth of the company. Acquiring a new customer can be many times more expensive than retaining an existing one, so any strategy that increases loyalty is worth its weight in gold. PXM does this by building a positive experience around the product and brand. When all product interactions (from the first visit to the website, through the purchase, to the after-sales service with good instructions and support) are consistent and focused on customer satisfaction, an emotional bond is formed. The customer feels that the brand understands his needs and takes care of him - so he is more likely to come back. This directly increases his life value, because instead of one transaction, we have, for example, five of them within a few years, and in different categories (because he trusts the quality of information also for other products).

To summarize this part: PXM translates into hard metrics. Higher conversion means more effective use of website traffic, higher AOV means more revenue from each transaction, and higher CLV means more revenue from each customer acquired. All these effects add up, leading to a noticeable increase in e-commerce sales. It is no surprise that more and more companies are treating PXM not as a cost, but as an investment with a powerful ROI.

Challenges and how to overcome them

Of course, implementing Product Experience Management in an organization brings with it the most common challenges in implementing PXM - both technological and organizational. Below, we discuss the most common challenges and ways to overcome them so that PXM can spread its wings and bring the benefits described earlier.

Technological barriers

One of the main problems with implementing PXM is the IT infrastructure of the shop - especially distributed databases and the lack of seamless integration between ERP, e-commerce and marketplaces. Problems with PIM and DAM integration are a common barrier – these systems must work seamlessly with existing tools and databases, which may require technical support or an implementation partner. Questions arise: How do we transfer data to the new system? How do we make sure nothing gets lost along the way? Can our shop platform handle API integration?

PXM implementation strategies recommend a step-by-step approach – e.g. a pilot on a selected product category that allows you to test and optimize integration without risk. Instead of trying to rebuild everything at once, companies often start with a pilot PIM implementation for a selected product category or channel. This way, they can develop data synchronization mechanisms on a smaller sample, correct errors and teach the organization new tools. It is also good practice to involve an experienced technology partner who can help design the integration architecture (e.g. using an API intermediate layer that “translates” data between old and new systems). Many modern PIM/DAM solutions also offer ready-made connectors for popular e-commerce platforms - it is worth using them to save time and reduce programming work.

Another challenge is scalability – centralizing data can put a strain on the system. Therefore, when implementing PXM, it is important to plan the architecture based on, for example, MACH (Microservices, API-first, etc.). If the system is not efficient, it can slow down the operation of the shop.

Solution: when choosing tools, it is worth paying attention to their architecture (the aforementioned MACH - Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless). Cloud-native solutions can dynamically scale computing power at peak traffic times. Microservices, on the other hand, divide the load into smaller components. Thanks to this, even high traffic will not “bring down” the product database. The performance challenge can also be addressed by a data caching strategy - some less variable information can be cached close to the frontend so that PIM is not asked the same thing every time. A combination of the right choice of technology and architecture will ensure that PXM does not cause problems with the speed of the shop's operation - on the contrary, in many cases it can improve it (e.g. by relieving the e-commerce platform of having to hold all the data).

Organizational barriers

In addition to technology, many difficulties are caused by organizational barriers in e-commerce – changing the way teams work, the need to redefine processes and cooperation between departments. This can create resistance or simply require time to adapt. Typical problems are:

• Lack of clearly defined responsibility for product data: Until now, descriptions were uploaded by someone else, photos by someone else, and someone else answered customer questions about the product. When introducing PXM, we need to define roles - e.g. content managers responsible for the quality of information, PIM managers, data update procedures.
  
• Silos between departments: Marketing may not communicate smoothly with IT, which can delay the implementation of tools or prevent PIM functions from being fully utilized. Or the e-commerce team may not cooperate with the customer service department, which also has valuable information (e.g. about the most common questions buyers have, which are worth adding to descriptions).
  
• A “this is the way it's always been done” culture and resistance to new things: Employees who are used to working with Excel spreadsheets or entering data manually may initially be reluctant to use a new system, especially if it is complicated.
  

Ways to overcome: The key to success is to engage teams and clearly demonstrate the benefits - the PXM implementation strategy step by step involves education, assigning roles and quickly achieving so-called quick wins (e.g. marketing will get tools to create nice product pages more easily, the service department will have fewer complaints thanks to better information, the IT department will be relieved of the mass of minor issues). quick wins (e.g. marketing will be given tools to create nice product pages more easily, the service department will have fewer complaints thanks to better information, the IT department will be relieved of the mass of minor content changes because marketing will do them itself in PIM). It is necessary to appoint a PXM project owner - a person or team who will coordinate activities and act as a mediator between departments. Interdisciplinary project groups are often formed for the duration of the implementation (e.g. someone from IT + someone from e-commerce + someone from marketing) to develop new processes together.

Training in the use of new tools is a must - employees must feel confident working with PIM or DAM. It is also a good idea to implement in stages: for example, we first launch PIM for a new product line and show quick wins - this could be, for example, easier translation of descriptions or quick price updates in all channels from a single interface. Once the team sees that it works and makes their work easier, they will be more willing to move on to further stages.

Recommendations for the PXM implementation strategy

When approaching PXM implementation strategically, it is worth following a few recommendations:

1. Start with an audit of product content: Assess where the biggest gaps or inconsistencies are. Maybe the descriptions are great, but the photos are of poor quality? Or maybe the technical data is okay, but there is no consistent communication style? An audit like this will indicate priorities - what to improve first.
   
2. Set measurable business goals: e.g. reduce returns by X%, increase conversion by Y%, shorten time-to-market by Z days. This will help you stay on track and evaluate your success. Clearly defined KPIs will also help you get management support for the project.
   
3. Choose tools that fit your scale: The market offers various PIM/DAM systems - from enterprise solutions to lighter SaaS for smaller companies. The most expensive and complex solution is not always the best - it is important that it meets your needs. Take into account the ease of integration with what you already have.
   
4. Involve your customers in the process: This is valuable and often overlooked advice. Ask your customers (e.g. through surveys or interviews) what bothers them about the product presentation and what information is missing. Sometimes a small comment from customers (“I would like more photos of details” or “I miss user reviews”) can give you an idea for improvement within PXM that will significantly improve conversion.
5. Monitor and optimize on an ongoing basis: Implementing PXM is not a one-time project that you can sit back and relax after. It is an ongoing process. Set up data collection mechanisms - e.g. track how conversion rates change after improving descriptions in a given category, observe heatmaps on product pages (where users scroll, what they click on), test different content variants (A/B tests of descriptions or headlines). PXM offers many possibilities to experiment with the product experience - it is worth using it to constantly improve it.
   

Implementing PXM can be challenging, but with the right approach, any barriers can be overcome. The technology is becoming more and more user-friendly (many solutions work in the cloud, with an intuitive web interface), and awareness of the importance of customer experience is permeating company departments, making it easier to gain their cooperation. The most important thing is to have a clear vision - to know why we are doing it and what benefits we will achieve, because this will motivate the team and justify the investment.